At work, we tend to use Maya for very specific tasks, and 3D Studio Max for other specific tasks. Every year we buy the upgrades to both products, which should make Autodesk very happy. We started off by using Maya on SGI workstations in the IRIX environment. Now we use high-end Dell workstations in Windows. Things sure have changed over time, and so has Maya. Dan Ablan over at Macworld has posted a great review on Maya 2011.

Having worked with the very first version of Maya, as well as the now-defunct Maya Fusion, it has been exciting to see the program evolve over the past seven years. Additions to the modeling features, animation controls, and dynamics are just some of the ways the software has improved. Advancements in OpenGL technology have also led to a revolution in 3D interface design, allowing users to view textures and lighting in real time. But what's more exciting in this new version is how Autodesk has simultaneously added new features and streamlined the program.